


With just one look

by TosMichiyo



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-09
Updated: 2016-12-09
Packaged: 2018-09-07 10:45:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8797783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TosMichiyo/pseuds/TosMichiyo
Summary: Harry and Tom meet each other.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Clarisse (transnymphtaire)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/transnymphtaire/gifts).



> Hello and Happy Birthday Ellie ^-^!!  
> Hope you like it :). 
> 
> All mistakes are my own!  
> Hope you all enjoy ^-^.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and Happy Birthday Ellie ^-^!!   
> Hope you like it :). 
> 
> All mistakes are my own!   
> Hope you all enjoy ^-^.

### Soulmates: 

\- A soulmate, another person who connect with you so intensely. A connection that you do not understand or can even comprehend. Just one simply glance, just one look and you be caught completely unaware. -

 

##### Harry Potter:

In a way Harry never believed in soulmates or true love. Something that could bring so much happiness could simply not exist. 

There could not be another person who could understand or connect with him on that kind of level. He just didn’t believe in it. 

It sounded impossible that with just one look, just one glance at a completely stranger and you would be completely trapped by them. Fall in love with them at first sight. To Harry it sounded like a fairy-tale and Harry knew for sure that fairy tales didn’t exist. 

Fairy tales got a happily ending; real life hardly got a happy ending. Well, Ron and Hermione got a happy ending, since they got together. Harry sighed and took another sip of his beer. He glanced up around the empty pub, the barkeeper smiled at him for one second and Harry returned it, before his eyes fixated on his beer again. 

He swirled his glass around, as he saw the liquid almost going over the rim. Despite not believing in anything like true love or soulmates, Harry still deeply wished that someone loved him so deeply and that he would meet a person who he could truly love as well. 

He loved his friends, but it was just not the same. Deep down he craved that impossible love that he didn’t even believe in. Harry snorted at his thoughts. How pathetic he was? Drinking alone in a pub while he knew that Ron and Hermione were out there, being happy together. He was happy for them since they got together after they finished school.

When his phone went off he took it out his pocket, but with one glance he saw that Hermione was calling, with an irritated groan he denied the call and placed his phone on the table, glaring at it. He simply knew she would try again. She most probably had called his house as well and she knew he was out there. 

Harry rested his head against his hand as he stared up at some other people in the club. He saw an older man sitting near the very corner of the pub, and it looked like the person was already pretty drunk, or maybe even passed out, considering his head was lying on top of the table.  
Harry sighed and he wondered if he would end up like that as well in a few years’ time, alone and drinking all his sorrows away. Well he already started on that, hadn’t he? Harry heard his mobile vibrating again on the table and he glared as he noticed that it was once more Hermione trying to call him.

Somehow she just didn’t know when to give up and these days like these he preferred to leave them alone. Today was the day that Ron and Hermione were together for 5 years, so he felt like he didn’t belong with them; even though they said he was their friend as well. He honestly didn’t want to feel like a third wheel to them. 

He felt irritation seep up in him as he glared down at his phone, just completely ignoring Hermione’s call until it ended. He was giving them the day and evening together, they should be glad, instead of trying to get him with them. It just didn’t feel right those times he actually spend time with them on these kinds of days. And Valentine’s Day was the worst of it all. 

Harry grabbed his glass and took a rather large sip of his beer; maybe he could drink away his sorrow after all. Maybe he would end up just like that stranger near the window. Harry froze as he heard someone close by clear their throat and he looked up. 

His eyes widened at the person that stood there, illuminated by the light shining behind him. He could feel his heart beating louder and he forced his beer down, before he would accidentally spit it out and make a fool of himself. 

“Hello, my name is Tom Riddle.” The handsome stranger said, while he extended his hand. Harry tried to relax and to force his mind to start working again.  
Harry extended his hand as well and tightly grasped the stranger’s hand, feeling his stomach flutter at the small touch. “H-arry… Harry Potter.” Harry inwardly cringed when he stuttered. He never stuttered before. He always was able to remain calm, but this stranger, Tom Riddle… there was something else about him and Harry looked over him as they pulled their hands back. 

The male had black coloured hair, nicely styled and those dark blue eyes watching him intently and Harry suppressed a shiver as he saw the rather hungry look the other had.  
“May I sit with you?” Tom asked and it took Harry a while before he realised that Tom had actually asked him something and Tom smiled at him, as if knowing what had went through Harry’s mind. 

Harry blushed as he nodded. “Of course.” He gestured towards the other chair in front of him, not knowing if he could actually take it if Tom sat close next to him. Well, maybe his heart wouldn’t be able to take it. 

Harry jumped from shock as his phone vibrated again on the table and he inwardly cursed. With shaking hands he grabbed the device and swiped over the red button, not wanting to talk to Hermione now of all times.  
“Shouldn’t you have picked that up?” Tom asked, seemingly curious. 

Harry laughed a bit, hoping that he could calm down a bit. “No…. that was a friend of mine, she is just worried.” Harry replied with a small shrug, as he let out a deep breath. When Tom smiled at him Harry smiled back and he hated how the other could make him feel like this. He had never felt anything like this. 

And somewhere he wondered if maybe Tom was his soulmate…? They both became silent, lost in their own thoughts and nerves for a while until Tom broke the silence and Harry was grateful for it.  
“Tell me something more about yourself? Your studies, maybe your career?” Tom asked; bringing Harry out of his thoughts. 

Harry smiled, glad that Tom took over the conversation, since it felt like all his bravery and courage had left him. Harry saw those dark blue eyes widen slightly and Tom’s lips turned upwards as well.  


“I am actually studying psychology and I am learning quite a lot. It is quite interesting at times how a human mind works.” Harry said, hoping that Tom would not find his career boring. “What about you?” Harry asked, as he eyed the other. Wondering what someone like Tom would actually do for a living.  


“Me? Currently I am just working with a veterinarian, but I studied animal care.” Tom replied with a smile. Harry’s eyes widened behind his glasses. That was also quite impressive. “But psychology? Interesting, why would you take such a difficult job?” Tom asked in return.  


Harry smiled, feeling happy that Tom seemed interested in his career and he felt his nerves easing a bit as he relaxed. “Because I want to help people. I know how much people can actually suffer, even in silence.” Harry replied. 

Harry then frowned and his smile faded as he looked down at the table between them. “I try to help people as best as I can, because I don’t want to see them suffer.” Harry sighed and leaned back with a small shrug. “Why would you study animal care? You don’t seem like the animal kind of type.” Harry said as he eyed the other male. But then he realised how foolish that sounded.  
Tom chuckled softly at him and Harry’s eyes widened as he apologized for assuming anything about him. He was feeling stupid that he had not thought about what he said. 

Tom just merely shook his head. “No worries. You can just be honest to me.” Harry sighed softly and felt grateful, so he nodded and smiled at the other, though he could feel his face turning red from embarrassment. “I actually choose animal care for personal reasons I guess…” Tom said softly. Harry noticed how Tom looked around the pub and he frowned slightly.  


“You see humans judge… or want something from you. Animals… they don’t. They can give you so much love if you simply care for them. I actually have a cat at home that was mistreated and when we fixed her up, I simply took a liking to her and she became my pet. She has shown me more love than any human ever did.” Tom whispered. 

And Harry saw how Tom wasn’t even looking at him. He realised that Tom was showing him a more vulnerable side of him and Harry felt something inside him swell at those words. “I can relate to that feeling…” Harry muttered in reply and Tom looked back at him. Harry smiled sadly. “People can always hurt you, whereas an animal can’t.” Harry looked away and sighed. “In a way humans are terrible creatures aren’t they?”  


“True…” Tom whispered softly and Harry carefully looked back to Tom. “Humans only hurt each other.”  
Harry nodded slowly, his lips turned upwards. “But they can also help each other. Care for each other.” Harry stated, hoping to get both of them out of this kind of depressing mood. But he realised one thing when looking at Tom. 

Tom was alike him. Not trusting humans that much and often and Harry could relate to that. He wondered if Tom would one day tell him about his past, but Harry could already guess it hadn’t been a happy past, just like his. 

Harry saw Tom’s gaze going down towards his mobile, which was still lying on the table and with speed that Harry couldn’t follow Tom snatched his phone from the table.  
“Heey!” Harry yelled, shocked that Tom would just grab his phone like that. 

Tom looked up one second. “I am only going to add my number. I want to meet again and stay in contact with you.” Tom stated, leaving no room for an argument.

Harry blinked at the other as he saw Tom typing inside his phone. Somehow it felt nice that someone said something like that, but he was still pretty shocked by the other sudden reaction. But as Harry considered it all, he knew he also wanted to know Tom better. There was something about him and Harry felt drawn to the other. So he just nodded and sat back again, staring at Tom, who was also staring at him. 

Harry smiled a bit, he couldn’t believe in love at first sight. But maybe there was some truth to soulmates after all.  



	2. Chapter 2

### Soulmates

 

##### Tom Riddle: 

Love… how foolish it was, so weak and pathetic. To completely put yourself aside for another person. Tom had never understood love or even thought about it. 

Some of his friends had often joked that he didn’t know love and maybe that was true. He didn’t know and he would never know. He didn’t need it. 

It was something that he simply couldn’t understand it, especially as he looked at how Pansy draped herself completely over Draco in an attempt to get the blonde to actually kiss her. Tom just walked slightly behind them with a glare. 

Draco would do anything for her, she simply had to ask and one day later she would get what she asked for. Tom knew that money was important, but he could clearly see that Pansy only liked Draco for his gifts and thus for his money. 

Love… was it based on something like that? Tom shook his head. “What are you thinking about?” Regulus asked next to him. 

Tom just grinned. “How foolish love is.” He replied. 

Regulus laughed softly as he also watched the two lovers in front of them. “It can be. But it is not always like that. True love could truly blind a person, Tom.” 

Tom just shook his head with a soft chuckle. “True love… right, like that even exists.” 

Regulus laughed. “Would you spend the rest of your life alone then, Tom?” The other teased him and Tom’s lips turned upwards a bit.

Tom then shrugged. “I guess. I am 26 and I have never been in a relationship before. There is no one out there that even catches my interest.” 

Regulus let out a laugh. “We are not that old yet. You never know what could happen, Tom. Don’t give up on love that easily. Just look at my brother, Sirius.” 

Tom shook his head with a soft laugh. Sirius was a perfect example of true love he supposed. “Well, your mother disowned him rather quickly when he got together with Remus Lupin, didn’t she  
?” 

“Yes, she did,” Regulus said with a sad smile. “But at least he is happy. He believes that Remus is his soulmate and he knew that from the very first glance.” 

Tom withheld a sigh. Soulmates… something that was even worse than love. Soulmates, the only person who could completely, your one true love... Maybe like another half of your own soul. What were the odds of meeting your soulmate? “I will probably just live together with like 20 dogs or so.” Tom stated seriously. 

Regulus stopped and looked at the other, not believing what Tom just said, then he just started laughing as he caught up to the other again. “Well, I can’t see that happening either, Tom. Even knowing you, you will still get lonely.” 

Tom smiled softly. “Why not?” Tom asked as he looked over to his friend and raised an eyebrow.

“You and dogs!?” Regulus asked, while he tried to stop laughing. “I just can’t see it happening. Besides Nagini would really hate that.” 

Tom just shrugged with a soft chuckle. “Yeah, I think she will hate me.” Nagini was his cat that he actually kind of saved and she wasn’t fond of other people or animals at all. Tom blinked as he noticed they were going in a different direction than normal. “Where are we going?” He asked and Regulus also noticed that the streets were different. 

“Oh, I believe Draco said he found another pub around her somewhere.” Regulus replied, as he shrugged. He didn’t really care where they were going to hang out. 

Tom frowned. He didn’t like changes like this. He preferred to have everything under control and now they were going somewhere he hadn’t been before and he didn’t like it one bit. Yet silently he followed Draco and Pansy as they turned around in a small alleyway. “Here we are.” Draco said with a grin. 

Tom glanced up at the pub and saw that it was named ‘The Deadly Hallows’. His frown deepened. Such a strange name for a pub and he had never heard of it before. He looked through one of the windows and saw an old man passed out and inwardly he actually sighed at the distasteful sight. 

His eyes trailed over to the other people in the pub, until he stopped and stared at one person in particular. His eyes widened, as he felt something that he had never felt before. A sense of completeness filled him and it felt so surreal. He saw the black-haired male move his head and noticed how he rested his head atop his hand and those eyes, Tom couldn’t see the colour, but somehow he needed to see them, looked towards the drunk older male. 

“Tom?” Regulus put his hand atop Tom’s shoulder and his thoughts stopped as he looked towards his friend. Actually hating that the other had gotten his attention away from the stranger sitting there. “You alright?” Regulus asked. “You blacked out for a while.” 

Tom’s eyes trailed away from Regulus’s concerned face as he watched the stranger in the pub once more. “I am fine. I am certain that the three of you can actually entertain yourself elsewhere.” 

“What!?” Draco yelled, not believing that he was going to be send away from a pub that he had found. But with one angry look from Tom the blonde shut his mouth and Pansy stared at Tom, while also following his gaze inside. 

“Leave, we will catch up later. I am not in the mood to spend time with you, guys.” Tom said rather harsh. His voice dropping lower and slightly colder and they realised that Tom was close to getting angry. So they just nodded while Pansy pulled Draco away from the pub. The blonde wanted to protest, but Regulus also pushed him forward. 

Tom noticed that Regulus took one last glance, before they went around the corner. Tom stepped forward and looked through the window at the black-haired stranger. He could see how the male glared at his phone from behind those round glasses and he felt intrigued by the other. 

His dark eyes kept watching the other, noticing all the movements that indicated the other was clearly irritated. Tom felt his heart beat had only increased and normally he wouldn’t be this nervous to actually meet someone else, but this time he felt like he didn’t want to mess up. 

This was important, this male was important. So he gathered his courage and walked into the pub, glad that it wasn’t that crowded. He got greeted by a waiter and he simply smiled back, before his eyes fixed on the stranger again. 

The male just took a rather large sip of his beer and Tom cleared his throat, making the other look up, confused. 

Up close the stranger was even more breath-taking and Tom hated how he felt his body reacting. Those eyes, that were emerald, stared up at him. He could see the pupils dilating and even through his nervous state he smiled. “Hello, my name is Tom Riddle.” He extended his hand, hating that he was trembling slightly. 

But it seemed like the other didn’t notice, as he swallowed the beer inside his mouth and extended his hand. “H-arry… Harry Potter.” Harry… such a simple name for such a beautiful human. Tom could see how nervous, confused and shocked the other was and somehow he knew that he wasn’t the only one that was being affected by this all. 

Tom grasped his hand tightly and shook it, feeling something inside him flutter with the simple innocent touch. As he pulled his hand back, albeit reluctantly he saw how those emerald eyes glanced over him and in turn he did the same, even though he had a lot of time already to look the other over. 

“May I sit with you?” Tom asked, as he saw a small blush creeping up on Harry’s face and though he would never admit it out loud, but he found it quite adoring and he smiled. 

Harry nodded. “Of course.” Harry gestured to the other chair in front of him and Tom sat down, though he had preferred to sit closer to the other male, he didn’t want to push it or push his luck. He had a terrible feeling with just the thought of never truly getting to know Harry and he didn’t like it one bit. 

Harry almost jumped as his phone which was lying on the table between them vibrated. Tom saw how the other grabbed it with shaky hands and swiped the red button to deny the call. “Shouldn’t you have picked that up?” Tom questioned, curious about why Harry would not answer it. 

Harry laughed a bit. “No…. that was a friend of mine, she is just worried.” Harry replied with a small shrug. Tom just smiled as he saw those emerald eyes look at him from behind those glasses. 

They both became silent, lost in their own thoughts and nerves and Tom knew he had to break this silence. He couldn’t stand it. He needed to know more about Harry, this person that caught his attention. 

“Tell me something more about yourself? Your studies, maybe your career?” Tom asked and Harry seemed to relax slightly as he smiled. Tom’s eyes widened briefly as he saw that smile and his own lips turned upwards in a genuine smile as well. 

Normally he wouldn’t bother with someone that he didn’t even know. Normally he wouldn’t care about someone, he didn’t even want to know the past of his friends, but somehow he wanted to know everything about Harry Potter. 

“I am actually studying psychology and I am learning quite a lot. It is quite interesting at times how a human mind works.” Harry replied. “What about you?” 

“Me? Currently I am just working with a veterinarian, but I studied animal care.” Tom replied with a smile, seeing that he caught Harry’s interest as he saw those green eyes look at him with admiration. “But psychology? Interesting, why would you take such a difficult job?” Tom asked in return. 

Harry smiled. “Because I want to help people. I know how much people can actually suffer, even in silence.” Tom saw how Harry’s smile faded and inwardly he grew cold. “I try to help people as best as I can, because I don’t want to see them suffer.” Harry shrugged. “Why would you study animal care? You don’t seem like the animal kind of type.” 

Tom chuckled and Harry’s eyes widened as he apologized for assuming anything about him. Tom just merely shook his head. “No worries. You can just be honest to me.” Tom said with a soft smile. Harry nodded and a grateful smile played on his lips and once again Tom saw how Harry’s face had turned a bit red. “I actually choose animal care for personal reasons I guess…” Tom said softly, he glanced up and saw that no one actually paid any attention to them. 

“You see humans judge… or want something from you. Animals… they don’t. They can give you so much love if you simply care for them. I actually have a cat at home that was mistreated and when we fixed her up, I simply took a liking to her and she became mine. She has shown me more love than any human ever did.” Tom whispered, not looking at Harry when he admitted this. 

“I can relate to that feeling…” Harry muttered and Tom glanced back up at the other. Harry smiled sadly. “People can always hurt you, whereas an animal can’t.” Harry looked away and sighed. “In a way humans are a terrible creature aren’t they?” 

Tom blinked a few times; somewhere in his mind he wondered where Harry had been his entire life. For their thoughts seemed so alike. “True…” Tom whispered softly, as he saw Harry look back towards him. “Humans only hurt each other.” 

Harry nodded slowly, his lips turned upwards. “But they can also help each other. Care for each other.” Harry stated. 

Tom nodded, but stayed silent. He had never expected someone to truly care about him. He had always been a loner and he always believed he would end up alone. But at this very moment, he simply wanted to spend an eternity with Harry. Tom looked at Harry’s phone which was still lying on the table and just grabbed it. 

“Heey!” Harry yelled, but Tom looked up one second. 

“I am only going to add my number. I want to meet again and stay in contact with you.” Tom stated, leaving no room for an argument. He knew he was being possessive and maybe a bastard right now, but as he saw the realisation hit in by Harry the other just nodded and sat back again, staring at him with those emerald eyes that had Tom captured from the very first glance.


End file.
